The New Man
by Sgt. Moffitt
Summary: The newest recruit for the 4th Panzer Brigade is not quite what he seems...
1. The soldier in the woods

_A/N: I don't own Hogan's Heroes and I don't get paid for this; it is truly a labor of love._

A behind-the-scenes look at Carter's adventures with the German army in "One Army at a Time". Some lines of dialogue from the episode are included.

* * *

Crunch, crunch, crunch went the snow underfoot.

Dieter wondered if this patrol would ever end. Slogging through the snow in search of some mythical underground agents...what a waste of time and boot leather! Whoever thought it was a good idea to have an entire Panzer company guard a single railroad bridge against said agents, anyway?

Still, as Horst pointed out, it had to be preferable to slogging through snow on the Eastern Front.

Dieter really wished Horst would stop making references to the Eastern Front. After all, the chubby Horst would probably not last long there if that were indeed the next assignment for their unit. No doubt no one in _Kompanie C_ would last long on the Eastern Front! None of them had seen combat yet, with the exception of the enthusiastic Sergeant Schlenker, who had been attached briefly to a now-defunct Panzer division prior to joining the cobbled-together 4th Panzer-Brigade.

Which, for some reason, was currently assigned to the small Bavarian town of Hammelburg. And if performing patrol duty near the Milheim bridge outside town kept the soldiers of _Kompanie C_ away from Russia...well, far be it from Dieter to question the wisdom of his superiors.

He wondered gloomily, not for the first time, if he could possibly make it to the Swiss border if he deserted. _Großmutter _Klara would no doubt read him a lecture if he showed up on her doorstep in St. Moritz, and then he would be sent off to some internment camp, of course. But surely that would be better than facing the Russians! He'd heard some very disturbing stories about what the German army had done in Russia, and Dieter was pretty sure the Russians had every right to be angry.

And he really didn't want them to take it out on him personally, so this current assignment of his Panzer company - incomprehensible though it might be - suited him just fine. He had to wonder, though, as he was crunching through the snow, just how long their stay in Hammelburg would last.

Just then, despite his fixed belief that nothing ever happened in this sleepy little town, the evening brought a surprise to him and the other members of the patrol. A rustling in the underbrush was heard, and when they followed the noise they burst into a small clearing where an unfamiliar man in _Wehrmacht_ uniform was gathering up something from the ground.

Sergeant Schlenker spoke sternly to the stranger: _"Soldat!"_

The young man crouched on the ground looked up in surprise. "_Ja?" _ His arms were wrapped around a large oblong box, and several bulging canvas sacks were scattered on the ground around him. His eyes darted around in alarm as members of the patrol converged on him.

"Where did you find that?" demanded Schlenker, pointing to the box, which, on closer inspection, had what looked very much like the plunger for a detonator protruding from the top.

"It was right here," offered the soldier, after a moment of hesitation.

"Good work!" said Schlenker. He gestured to the members of the patrol. "Pick up this stuff. We'll go back and make our report on this. Fall in!"

Dieter, Horst and Otto gathered up the canvas sacks, and the young soldier got to his feet, still clutching the detonator. He scrambled ahead of the patrol but Schlenker wasn't having any of that.

"Fall _**in**__!"_ he ordered.

The young man meekly joined their group, trying to juggle his rifle and the detonator box while holding up his trousers at the same time. Apparently the uniform that he had been issued fitted him none too well...Dieter knew what that was like!

He gave the newcomer a half-smile of encouragement as the young man fell in beside him, and got a sheepish grin in response. Then Schlenker waved grandly, announcing "Follow me!"

And they were off, trudging back the way they had come.

* * *

On their return to the temporary company headquarters in Hammelburg, it was evident that the new man was rather a plain fellow, decidedly unheroic in appearance. But his discovery of the sabotage materials obviously impressed Schlenker no end, and the Sergeant insisted that the mere private take his place at the table for the _Unteroffizieren _in the mess hall.

When they had all gathered at the tables with mugs of beer in hand, Schlenker got to his feet and raised his own mug in a toast: "_Gott und Führer!" _

The group echoed him with apparent enthusiasm, although Dieter at least was of the opinion that _der __Führer_ had nothing at all to do with God, and should never, ever, be mentioned in the same sentence with Him. But he was cautious enough not to voice that opinion and he drank the toast along with the rest. After all, how often did he and his comrades get a chance to drink beer in the evening?

That last thought was somehow a little unsettling, and Dieter shook it off impatiently. As they all resumed their seats, he looked around his own table, the one set aside for the lesser mortals known as the _Soldaten_. Horst was drinking his _Bier_ with every evidence of enjoyment, but Otto was sighing with envy. "_Ach,_ how lucky that new man is! I would never have found those sabotage things in a million years!"

"Very true," Horst grinned. He often poked fun at Otto, whose patriotic zeal was matched only by his incompetence. Dieter knew that this didn't stop Horst from taking advantage of Otto's eagerness to please, though. Horst, who was naturally indolent, took every opportunity he could to avoid work, and Otto was often conned into taking on extra sentry and mess hall duties that rightfully belonged to Horst. This didn't seem to bother Otto, though, and he didn't take offense at Horst's comment right now either.

Meanwhile, Schlenker and the new man had taken up their mugs again in a most comradely fashion, and the three privates at the next table unabashedly listened in on their conversation.

"Good beer, eh?" Schlenker smacked his lips.

_"Wunderbar!_" said the new man. "Or in this case, would it be_ Wunder-Bier_?"

Schlenker just shook his head, but at the adjoining table Otto was impressed. "What a smooth operator!" he said to his companions. "I wish I could make a witty remark like that! No wonder the Sergeant is so taken with him."

"Well, I don't see what's so special about him," Horst said.

Dieter was about to reply when the door opened, and the company captain came in, a middle-aged man by the name of Horatio Krunsch. He was looking tired and grumpy as he approached the _Unteroffizier_ table.

_"Achtung!"_ Schlenker said, and the entire company got to its feet again.

Krunsch nodded absently as he pulled off his gloves. "Heil Hitler...as you were."

The arrival of the officer seemed to cause the new man some alarm, and Dieter watched with interest as the fellow tried to slink out of the room in the confusion of everyone resuming their seats. Sergeant Schlenker remained on his feet though, and grabbed the young soldier's shoulder before he could get away.

"This is the man!" he told Krunsch. "He found the dynamite and the saboteur's equipment."

The officer said crisply, "Very good. How did this happen?"

The new man seemed even more alarmed; his eyes were darting around again. "How did it happen?" he hedged.

_"Ja_, how did it happen?"

"Well, I was walking through the woods..."

"On your way here?" Krunsch interrupted.

_"Ja,_ I was on my way here, to...to...the 4th Panzer-Brigade."

"So?"

"So I heard a noise, I went to investigate, and I found the stuff."

Krunsch nodded. "Very clever."

_"Danke!"_ replied the new man, adding modestly, "Once in a while you get lucky."

"Your name?"

This not unreasonable request seemed to throw the fellow into a panic. He hemmed and hawed for a bit, and finally Krunsch got exasperated and asked for his papers.

The young man handed over his _Soldbuch_ and peered at it as Krunsch unfolded the inner sheet._"Ja,_ that's my name," he said, relief evident in his tone. "Private Hans Wagner."

"Very good record," Krunsch mused as he reviewed the document. "Invasion of Poland, Battle of France, Eastern Front..."

Private Wagner grinned and nudged the officer. "Boy, was it ever cold!"

Krunsch gave him a warning look over this unwarranted familiarity, and the private stiffly stood at attention once more. The Captain asked for his orders, but it turned out that Private Wagner had lost them, so Krunsch decided to keep him at _Kompanie C _and make him Acting Corporal to boot.

"He has the experience," he told Schlenker.

The Sergeant smiled and saluted. _"Jawohl, Herr Kapitän!_"

As the Captain left the room, Schlenker patted Acting Corporal Hans Wagner on the back. "Congratulations...good boy!"

Wagner looked bewildered, but he replied _"Danke"_, and accepted another beer from the Sergeant.

Otto sighed again with envy. "Did you hear that? He lost his orders, and now he's Acting Corporal! How I wish I could be like him!"

"Never happen," said Horst. "Although I've known you to lose a few things too, from time to time. Maybe there's hope for you yet."

* * *

In the barracks, Dieter and Horst showed Hans Wagner his bunk and footlocker. As they did so, Otto watched Hans's struggles with his ill-fitting trousers and took pity on him. "The Quartermaster certainly didn't get your measurements correct, did he? Let me fix your trousers for you."

Whatever his shortcomings in other areas may have been, Otto was certainly deft with a needle, and in no time Hans's trousers were tailored to fit his wiry form.

He tried them on and gave Otto a grin. _"Danke!"_

Now that his wardrobe issues were out of the way, the new Acting Corporal seemed a bit less nervous, and chatted easily with the others as they all readied for bed. And his first question for them was not entirely unexpected.

"I've been wondering," Hans said. "Why did Sergeant Schlenker call your commanding officer ___Herr_ _Kapitän_?"

Horst chuckled and shook his head. "Good question...he should be addressed as _Herr Hauptmann,_ of course. As a matter of fact, Krunsch used to command a ship in the _Kriegsmarine_ before he was transferred to the army. He prefers his previous title, and he's a decent fellow - for an officer - so we humor him."

"Oh." Hans had a thoughtful look on his face as he filed this tidbit away for future reference.

Eager to learn more about his new hero, Otto had lots of questions, but Hans was reluctant to give any details about his time in combat, or indeed any aspects of his military career. His anxiety seemed to return and his eyes were darting around again.

"I just did my job," he mumbled.

Otto thought he was being overly modest, and Hans's reticence didn't affect his admiration in the least. His questions were of necessity cut short, though, because he was due for sentry duty once again.

Once Otto had departed, the rest of the barracks had a chance to relax and get some sleep. But as he climbed into his bunk, Hans had one last question.

"Do you fellows get beer _every_ night?"

"Not until recently," Dieter said, and Hans nodded, pulling the blanket up to his chin and closing his eyes.

Soon the room was quiet, except for the snorting and snuffling of the sleeping men. Dieter was just starting to doze off himself when he was startled awake by a stealthy movement nearby. One of his bunkmates was pulling on his boots, and as he squinted into the darkness, Dieter realized it was the new man.

"Where are you going, Hans?" he asked sleepily.

Hans whispered, "Latrine," and after gathering up his overcoat, quietly left the barracks.

It occurred to Dieter that he had forgotten to show Hans where the latrine was, and he was about to get up to follow him, but then flopped back down on his bunk.

After all, a person with initiative enough to be made Acting Corporal could undoubtedly find the latrine on his own, couldn't he?

But Hans's last question had reminded him of his earlier disquiet. Just why_ were_ they getting the beer, anyway?

* * *

A/N: I'm not quite sure why the _Kompanie C _Sergeant addresses his commander as _Herr __Kapitän_, or why Hogan does the same later when he cons the Captain into turning over the guarding of the railroad bridge to the Heroes. It is my understanding that only naval officers were addressed in this manner; an army captain should have been addressed as _Herr Hauptmann_. But naturally I had to have a little fun with the situation!


	2. Unsettling news

_A/N: I don't own Hogan's Heroes, and I don't get paid for this; it is truly a labor of love._

* * *

The next morning, Dieter woke to find a heavy-eyed Hans regarding him from the next bunk.

Dieter sat up, yawned and stretched. "Did you have any trouble finding the latrine, Hans?"

Hans stared at him blankly. _"Was?_ Oh...the latrine. _Ja, ja, _I found it." He sat up too, moving a little stiffly.

"Looks like you didn't sleep too well," Dieter observed.

"Strange bunk, I guess," said Hans. "Everything's strange here."

A fully-dressed and annoyingly cheerful Otto came bustling in just then. "Of course everything's strange, Hans! I tell you what, though: I'll give you a tour of headquarters and then you won't feel so out of place."

Hans eyed him warily. "Very kind of you, I'm sure." Then he brightened. "_Ja,_ now that I think about it, that is a very good idea! I would like to see all of the buildings here. I mean, I don't even know where you keep the ammunition and such."

"We've got a temporary armory set up in one of the outbuildings," said Otto. "I'll show you."

"Do you keep explosives there...like the dynamite I found last evening?"

Horst, who was sitting on the edge of his bunk and pulling on his boots, looked up. "_Nein,_ that kind of ordnance is the responsibility of the tank crews. And the dynamite that you found is no doubt stored away safely for the Gestapo investigation."

"Gestapo!" Hans's voice was almost a squeak.

"Of course," said Dieter. "Schlenker notified them right away when we returned last night from patrol. It's their job to deal with the saboteurs, you know."

"Oh, _ja, _of course." Hans seemed a bit deflated by this information, and Otto gave him an understanding smile.

"You were hoping our unit would be able to use your find, weren't you? Never mind, I've thought of something to cheer you up. After we do the grand tour this morning, I've got to take a dispatch to the Kommandant of Luftstalag 13. You can ride with me...the motorcycle has a sidecar."

Hans looked up at him with a startled expression. "Luftstalag 13? You're going to Luftstalag 13? I would like that very much, but...won't the Sergeant object?"

Horst snorted. "I doubt it! You're his golden-haired boy, you know."

Hans blushed.

* * *

Dieter and Horst were off-duty that afternoon, and they were lounging around the mess hall wishing they had a third man for a nice game of _Skat _when Otto came in, freshly returned from his journey to the Luftstalag. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"We're back, and you should have seen Hans!" He sat down and nodded as Horst wordlessly held up a deck of cards. "_Skat? Ja_, of course, deal me in!"

Horst regarded him with some surprise as he shuffled the cards. "Why should we have seen Hans? And where is he now?"

Otto waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the mess hall door. "He's exploring the orderly room. Says he wants to thoroughly familiarize himself with this place...he doesn't like being the new man, you know."

Dieter frowned at the hand he had just been dealt. "So what exactly did he do today that has you so excited, Otto?"

Otto picked up his own hand and frowned as well. "Eh? Oh, Hans really spoke his mind to an enemy officer at the Luftstalag. You should have seen the way he talked to that colonel! _Ach,_ what a man...Hans really told that _Amerikaner _off, in front of the Kommandant and everything! He's a true disciple of our glorious _Führer, _for certain."

"Hmm. Sounds a bit _verrückt_ if you ask me," Horst said, as he selected one of the cards in his hand. "A person just doesn't go around screaming at an officer, even if he _is_ the enemy. Still, that kind of brash attitude will probably come in handy when we get shipped out."

Otto said eagerly, "Shipped out? We are to go into battle?"

"Don't look so happy about it! Eastern Front, you know."

"We don't know that for sure," Dieter pointed out half-heartedly.

"No," said Horst, "but some of us at least are going to be transferred _somewhere_. I overheard Schlenker talking about it with the Captain."

Hans joined them a little later, and his trip to Luftstalag 13 seemed to have cheered him up considerably. Or maybe he felt more comfortable as a member of _Kompanie C_ now that he'd had a chance to explore the place.

Or maybe it was because Sergeant Schlenker's arrival in the mess hall coincided with his own. The Sergeant had a special announcement: a motion picture was to be shown to the company, a captured American film with Betty Grable in it!

All of the men assembled in the mess hall were delighted with the news, but no one was more pleased than the new man. Hans's eyes lit up, even more so than when he had been served that first mug of beer. After the Sergeant left, he turned to his companions.

"Betty Grable! _Ach,_ she is my very favorite! That smile...those legs!" He struck a pose, complete with hands on hips and over-the-shoulder come-hither smile.

The men in the mess hall burst into uproarious laughter, but Horst just shook his head and glanced at Dieter. _"Ja,_ very nice indeed. But why is _Kompanie C_ being treated so well?"

"And the beer, too. Don't forget the beer," Dieter added gloomily. He frowned as something else occurred to him. "And extra _Bratwurst_ served with the _Sauerkraut_, the last few evenings."

Horst stroked his chin."Almost too good to be true, isn't it?_"_

* * *

That evening brought a disappointment. The motion picture would not be shown until the following evening, as a projector had to be borrowed from the theater in Hammelburg, and after _Kompanie C_ had its viewing, the film would then be sent to _Kompanie D_ for the troops' enjoyment there.

But even more unsettling news came when the men of _Kompanie C_ had retired to their barracks for the night. Sergeant Schlenker came in unannounced, carrying a large box and wearing a grin. He went around the room, distributing the contents of the box to each of the occupants of the barracks, who all sat as if stunned.

"Compliments of the Captain," the Sergeant said, and quickly departed before the soldiers could voice their opinions of his whirlwind visit.

Dieter regarded the item he had just been given with disfavor, twirling it around a few times before tossing it onto his bunk. _"Earmuffs__? _You know what this means, don't you?"

_"Nein." _Otto was fully occupied with trying on his own pair of earmuffs and didn't have an inquisitive bone in his body anyway. "Very nice! I had a pair like these when I was little."

Hans examined the pair he'd just been issued and looked up at Dieter with a half-smile. "We are headed for a colder climate perhaps?"

"Perhaps." Dieter checked himself. Hans might be a favorite with Sergeant Schlenker and the Captain, but he'd only been with their group for a few days, after all. No telling what he might do if he suspected Dieter was in any way criticizing the conduct of the war.

Horst had no such hesitation. "There's no doubt about it. The beer, the _Bratwurst, _Betty Grable, and now earmuffs! We're headed for the Eastern Front, that's what this means!"

* * *

Things got worse the next day. Bad omen though it might be, the Betty Grable film was still something to look forward to, and all of the soldiers were eager to see it. But since was there a limited window of opportunity for showing the film, of necessity the bridge security detail would unfortunately miss it.

And Dieter and Otto were slated for bridge duty that very evening! Their only satisfaction came from the knowledge that Horst would also miss the motion picture, since he was on the roster for sentry duty at the tank depot.

But even this meager consolation came to naught when Horst joined them for the evening meal with a smug grin on his face. "The new man, Hans...he volunteered to do sentry duty out at the tank field, so I can see the Betty Grable film after all!"

Dieter shook his head in disgust; the man had no shame. "You have no shame, Horst," he said severely. "Taking advantage of the new man like that! Did you ever think that _he _might want to see Betty Grable?"

"Hans _does_ want to see the film!" said Otto indignantly. "Remember how excited he was yesterday?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he regarded the unrepentant Horst. "And now you will be the only one of us to see it."

Horst shrugged. "I'll be sure to let you know how it ends."

* * *

Dieter sighed as he and Otto commenced their patrolling back and forth at the railroad bridge abutment. At least when they had patrolled the surrounding woods they actually covered some ground. Here, they just marched back and forth in front of a bridge in the middle of nowhere.

But they daren't slack off...their commanding officer had taken on bridge duty as well this evening, to enable another officer to see Betty Grable. So Dieter and Otto did their best to appear dedicated to their unwelcome task.

Captain Krunsch stoically kept up his surveillance with a pair of binoculars, but Dieter could tell his heart wasn't in it either. Probably was wishing he was back on board a battleship instead of maintaining this ridiculously boring and useless watch over a railroad bridge.

But wait...the Captain stiffened as he peered off into the distance. Dieter couldn't see what he saw, but he could hear it: the unmistakable rumble of a tank approaching.

And as the armored vehicle hove into view, it had a rather odd appearance. Two unfamiliar men in _Wehrmacht _uniform were riding on the tank in a most unmilitary fashion, and the tank looked very much like one of the tanks from _Kompanie C! _

One of the men hopped down as the tank clanked to a stop, and he strode up to the Captain and saluted.

_"Leutnant_ Hoganhofer, _Herr_ _Kapitän. _Reporting for duty, as requested...we are your relief for bridge security."

Krunsch regarded the newcomers with some surprise. "But I did not request a relief team."

The Lieutenant nodded. "That's what the divisional commander told me...he said you run a very tight ship, and would only request reinforcements when strictly necessary. But he also told me you have obtained an American motion picture for your company to watch, and he fears that - dedicated officer that you are - you would take on duty yourself so that your men might enjoy themselves."

At the Captain's doubtful look, the Lieutenant chuckled and shook his head. "And I can see he was quite right! But he wants all of your men - yourself included - to enjoy the show this evening. And that is why he assigned my team to cover for your absence here at the bridge. We stopped by your headquarters to pick up a tank for the assignment, as you can see."

"I see," said Captain Krunsch. "Your orders?"

The Lieutenant rubbed his chin and grinned ruefully. "Ah, now...let's see, my orders...yes, of course! I left them with the soldier who released the tank to us...Acting Corporal Hans Wagner. But I assure you all is in order, _Herr __Kapitän_."

The Captain unbent then...perhaps it was because of the Lieutenant's use of his favored mode of address. "My men and I are grateful to the divisional commander for thinking of us. You are quite welcome to assume security for the Milheim bridge. Only for tonight, mind!"

Otto and Dieter looked at each other and grinned.

_ We're going to see Betty Grable after all!_


	3. Tragedy, and a new assignment

_A/N: I don't own Hogan's Heroes and I don't get paid for this; it is truly a labor of love._

* * *

Dieter smiled as he watched the projected image on the wall of the mess hall. Great cinema it was not, and although the title of the film was _Springtime in the Rockies,_ there were only a few outdoor scenes to illustrate that fact. There was also the little detail that all of the dialogue was in English. Still, Betty Grable was pretty and vivacious and he could understand Hans's admiration of the blonde actress.

What a pity poor Hans was doing duty at the tank field! The new man would have enjoyed this very much, Dieter thought. And that Carmen Miranda! Dieter decided that he preferred the lively brunette to Miss Grable...she had such a nice smile.

At the end of the film, Betty Grable and John Payne were reconciled, and there was a grand celebration of Pan-American unity with North Americans and South Americans all singing and dancing.

Happy ending for everyone. Dieter reflected that things must be very nice in the Western Hemisphere, far from the sound of guns. Why did Europe have to be torn apart by war, anyway?

His mood was shared by his companions...the contrast between what they had just seen and what they had to look forward to was just too stark. And shortly after they returned to the barracks, Sergeant Schlenker came in to inform them that Acting Corporal Hans Wagner had vanished!

"Sergeant Schlenker's in a tizzy, all right," said Horst to his stunned companions, after the obviously distraught Sergeant had departed. "Hans was supposed to be guarding the tanks. Ha! Some hero_ he_ is...wandered off the first chance he got."

"That can't be true," Otto said, his eyes wide. "Maybe he heard something, and went to investigate."

"Investigate? I don't think so. Deserted, that's what he's done."

"But why would he desert? After all he's been through, in Poland, and France, and the Eastern Front..."

Horst laced his fingers across his ample stomach and nodded, a faraway look in his eye. "_Ja,_ and he knows better than anyone what it will be like when _Kompanie C_ gets to Russia. That's why he got out when he could."

Otto swallowed hard. "You are so certain that we are going to Russia? To fight Russians?"

Dieter sighed. "Think about what we were discussing last night: the beer we've been getting every evening...extra _Bratwurst_ with the _Sauerkraut_ in the mess hall...the Betty Grable film we were allowed to see tonight. Why should they be treating us so well, if not to reward us ahead of time for our sacrifice?"

"Sacrifice?" Otto's voice ended on a whisper. "_Ach,_ now I see. And of course, the earmuffs!"

"The earmuffs." Horst smiled the grim smile of one who has been proven right, even though he would have preferred to have been wrong all along. "And Hans obviously couldn't take the thought of returning to the Eastern Front. Battle fatigue, you know...I spotted it at once. Didn't you notice how he kept looking all around, in dark corners and under bunks and behind buildings? Almost as though he expected a Russian at every turn, and was looking for a way out."

Otto shook his head. "Poor fellow! He must have seen some terrible things." Then he looked up with an expression of alarm. "And we'll see the same things, won't we?"

Horst nodded glumly. "Count on it."

Dieter thought wistfully of the motion picture they had just seen.

_They all seemed so happy, singing and dancing...I wonder if that's what it's really like in the Americas. But I guess we'll never find out._

* * *

The next morning Captain Krunsch called a special assembly in the mess hall. He looked out over his troops and shook his head sadly.

"Men, I'm sorry to report that there was an explosion at the Milheim railroad bridge last night. We shall never know exactly what happened, but Sergeant Schlenker and I have discussed the matter at some length and we have tried to piece together the situation, using the facts as we know them."

He looked around the crowd and continued, "And this is what we know: The bridge has been destroyed, and the tank that Lieutenant Hoganhofer had taken charge of was found undamaged about a hundred meters away, on a bluff overlooking the bridge...apparently the Lieutenant had chosen that spot because it commanded a better view of the surrounding area. The other thing that we know for certain is that the Lieutenant, his men, and Acting Corporal Hans Wagner are all missing."

Krunsch sighed. "Apparently after he released the tank to the Lieutenant, Acting Corporal Wagner found out something - we're not sure what, or how - and went to warn the Lieutenant about a possible attack by the underground. And it seems that when they all converged at the bridge to confront the villains..." (at this point Krunsch paused to pull a spotless handkerchief from his pocket and blow his nose) "...that's when the bridge exploded."

There was a shocked gasp from the entire company.

The Captain continued, "It is my sad duty to inform you that the explosion destroyed a large area around the bridge, and we have been unable to recover any remains of these brave men."

"No trace of Hans, sir?" Otto had tears in his eyes.

The Captain shook his head. "None."

Horst, stricken with guilt, covered his own eyes. Dieter gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder, but it was very true that had Hans not taken over Horst's sentry duty, he would still be alive today. No wonder Horst felt guilty.

Captain Krunsch put his handkerchief back in his pocket and sighed again. "The worst part, of course, is that I shall have to report the disappearance of this courageous lad, and he will be officially listed as a deserter. But we all know that Acting Corporal Wagner would never have done that, don't we?"

Dieter and Otto and Horst all nodded. "Yes, sir."

"He gave his life trying to save the Lieutenant and his men," the Captain said firmly. "A tragedy indeed, even more so considering our new assignment. Now that the Milheim bridge has been destroyed - along with the gallant crew that took our place yesterday evening - there is nothing to keep _Ko__mpanie C_ here in Hammelburg. We shall be shipping out almost immediately for deployment to our next post."

Dieter and Otto and Horst all looked at each other, and then back at the Captain. Dieter took a deep breath, and spoke for them all. "The Eastern Front, sir?"

The Captain stared at him. "The Eastern Front? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Well," Otto ventured timidly, "the earmuffs..."

"Earmuffs? Ah, yes, the earmuffs." The Captain smiled wryly. "And you're going to need them, too, but not on the Eastern Front. No, no, boys...we're going to Norway!"


End file.
